Remembering Love

Yesterday afternoon I attended the wedding of a good friend that I grew up with. Jared is the little brother of Jennie - with whom I have been head over heels ever since 1973 when we stared at one another from behind our parents legs as they registered us for Kindergarten.

Their family is very Scottish - thus I also grew up around bagpipes (which I cannot tell you how much I love) and the Highland Fling which was proudly flung on many jaunty occasions. It was a gorgeous wedding and, yes, the groom and his groomsmen were decked out in their finest, and sexiest, kilted attire. I gave Jared a hug and offered my congratulations and usual smart ass comment about marriage - "Better you than me..." or something like that.

Then the wedding began. He walked down the aisle followed by the parents, the bridesmaids and groomsmen, the toddling flowers girls and the beaming little ring bearer. Then the music changed and we all stood as the bride and her father entered the chapel from outside, silhouetted at first and then in full view of everyone - including, for the first time that day, the groom.

Everyone made the usual whispered ooo's and ahh's about her dress and up-do but I couldn't take my eyes off of Jared. I was riveted to, and completely thrown by, the expression on his face. It was a mixture of surprise, gratitude, awe, desire, humility and reverence. It was the best freaking thing I have seen in a very, very long time. It was not rehearsed nor was it forced or contrived. It was spontaneous and emotional and beautiful. It was like looking at the face of someone seeing God for the first time. It was like looking directly at the face of Love.

I watched as they looked into one another's eyes and each held the hand of her beautiful, little daughter. I watched them exchange rings and I caught my breath as my friend knelt and gently placed a necklace around the neck of his new daughter - whom he also vowed to love and protect and live for. And I couldn't help wondering, for the thousandth time, what that would be like.

And I thought of Hugo's quote, "To love another person is to see the face of God." And I remembered, even if just for a moment, why people still get married.